Finishing Touches

CHAPTER 7

Ginny watched out of the corner of her eye as Draco crept up the stairs. She knew he was in pain, probably in trouble, and as always, far too stubborn to say so. There were two witches on the bus, fussing over Hermione's still limp body and giving Luna anti pain charms for her arm. Stan walked in nervous circles around them, and Ernie sped on towards Hogsmeade. Ginny waited several minutes then edged herself out of her seat and up the winding staircases until she found Draco on the third floor, leaning against a window.

"Hey," she greeted him quietly.

He didn't answer.

"You okay?"

He let out a small snort, turned, and limped towards a small bed that was crammed against a wall.

"Let me see," Ginny requested, sitting down beside him. The left side of his robe was ripped and damp. Ginny stretched out her hand to touch it, and confirmed her fears as she saw the red wetness on her fingers. She glanced at Draco, but he was still staring out the window, so she slid off the bed, and kneeling in front of him, gently pulled his robes aside until she had a clearer view of his side.

"What?" Draco demanded as Ginny gasped.

His side was nearly split open, oozing blood and something else, something that Ginny wasn't sure of, but was the silvery green color of old meat.

Draco glanced down at his side, and then at Ginny. "It was him, wasn't it?"

"What?" she asked, preoccupied with his wound. "I'm not so good at healing charms. I can go see if Hermione's awake yet."

Draco reached down and grabbed Ginny by the arms, using so much force her head snapped backwards before bobbing forward. "Tell me. Was it my father?" His voice was lethal and acidic, and suddenly, Ginny felt very afraid.

"I don't know," she stammered, trying to pull away from him.

"Tell me," he roared, his face red and twisted with rage. "You spoke to him!"

Ginny nodded, tears escaping the corners of her eyes as all Draco's rage and the pain and trauma of the day came crashing down on her.

"Why would you lie to me? I've never lied to you?" His hissing voice filled the small room, and Ginny was terrified that Ron would suddenly appear.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't want to upset you."

Draco's fingers grew tighter on her arms as he glared at her, then without a word he released her. He held onto his side, doubled over in pain, and then slowly stretched out on the bed, his back towards Ginny.

Ginny watched Draco for several minutes, then glanced out the window. The sun was low in the sky, but she didn't know if it was rising or setting. She had no idea how long they had been in the cemetery, no idea if it had been for minutes or hours. One of the witches who had been on the bus previously made her way up the stairs to offer Ginny some pumpkin juice and small cakes.

"You must be starving dear," the witch said. "They said you have been fighting all day."

Oh. So we have. Ginny nodded and accepted the food.

"Is he okay?" the witch asked, staring at Draco who was asleep, but moaning and thrashing.

Ginny shook her head and swallowed. "I don't think so. He got cursed. It looks bad."

The witch leaned over Draco and carefully lifted the edges of his robe. She shook her head and bit her lip, then pulled out her wand. "That's an ancient curse. One that evil wizards of old reserved for those they hated the most, family members who had betrayed them, and the like."

How fitting, Ginny though bitterly. "How do you know?"

"I've studied a lot about the ancient world. I work in the historical department at the Ministry."

"Can you heal it?"

She shook her head. "I'm not a healer. I don't even know if the best of healers could do that. I can give him some strong pain charms though."

Ginny felt her heart sink even lower, as exhaustion washed over her. Draco grew silent as the charms took effect.

"Come down soon dear," the witch told her. "We'll be there shortly, and you must prepare yourself for what lies ahead."

Ginny hoped that nothing lied ahead because she was too tired to face it.

"Come up here," she heard Draco whisper sleepily.

She slowly pulled herself up to the bed Draco was lying on. She sat against the headboard and let Draco put his head in her lap. She ran her hands across his back and tried to ignore the bruises she was sure were forming on her arms and recalled a time before when Draco had left bruises on her arms.

CHAPTER 8

Ginny was heading down to the Great Hall to retrieve her potions book, which had been left there in the commotion of the evening. It was her third year, and things were pretty interesting at Hogwarts. Not only was the school hosting the Tri Wizard Tournament, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody, had turned Malfoy into a ferret and bounced him down the hall that afternoon.

She was still chuckling to herself about it, when she saw Draco step out of Snape's office, holding his wrist upright, and his face twisted into a grimace of pain.

"Are you okay?" Ginny heard herself asking before she could stop.

"I'm fine," Draco snapped, his ice colored eyes flashing angrily.

"Want me to go with you to the hospital wing?"

"I said, I'm fine!"

Ginny narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath, then pulled out her wand. "Menadero Hilario!"

Draco jumped in surprise, but his wrist immediately stopped hurting. "Where did you learn that?" he asked grudgingly, flexing his wrist back and forth.

"I take some healer classes."

"Why did you do it?"

"Because you seemed too stubborn to go to see Madam Pompfrey."

Draco nodded, grimacing as he did.

"Are you okay? I know a couple of anti-pain charms."

"Why do you care?" he snapped.

"I don't know," Ginny admitted, surprised at herself. "Am I not supposed to?" Although Draco's antics mostly annoyed her, she had caught him showing off several times, and telling stories loudly for her benefit, she was sure.

Draco made his way into an unused classroom and sat on a wooden bench, rocking slightly back and forth.

"I'm sorry that he did that to you," Ginny began. "I don't think he-"

"Don't talk about it," Draco commanded, his voice loud and vicious.

She found herself chewing on her fingernail, a habit her nerves refused to let her break. She sat down on the bench next to Draco and remained silent.

"What," he finally asked, "are you still doing here?"

"I just thought I'd make sure you were okay before I left," she told him nervously.

"I'm fine. So go."

But his voice cracked with pain and Ginny pulled her wand out again. "Dileverox Tynanderon!"

Draco jumped slightly as the charm hit him, but she could tell immediately that he felt better. "I said I was fine."

"Now you are," she shrugged, leaving the room.

On her way back from the Great Hall, Draco's voice called to her. "Come here."

She stepped inside the room, and found him sitting in the same spot. "What?"

"Why did you help me Weasley? What do you want?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. Even she was confused at her actions.

"Don't lie," he snapped. "Just tell me now. You have a better chance of getting it."

"I said nothing," she snapped back. "I don't lie."

Draco snorted, and Ginny glared down at him.

"Next time I won't!"

Draco nodded, and then began to pace the room, something he would do often when he was upset, Ginny would soon learn. "My father is going to be furious," he said, glancing at the bruises on the backs of his hands. Ginny could see one on his face, and she was sure there were more.

"What did Snape say?" she asked.

Draco scowled. "That Moody uses improper methods for most things he does in life, and it was a good lesson to leave Potter alone!"

The more he paced, the angrier he became. "I hate them," he finally screamed with rage. "I hate all of them!" Several of the candles went out and a dusty glass globe in the corner exploded. Ginny ducked as Draco yanked out his wand and began making things fly across the room, crashing into the walls.

"Stop," she yelled, trying to reach the door.

Draco spotted her and used his wand to lock the door. "Expelliarmus!" he screamed as Ginny yanked her own wand back out of her pocket. She watched in fear as her wand went flying out of her hand.

"Draco-"

"I hate them," he roared again, grabbing Ginny's wrists and shaking her. "Every single one of them!"

His fingertips pressed so fiercely into her arms that when he let go, she would look down to find five finger print bruises forming on her wrist's, like some horrid depiction of a flower.

When he did let go, Ginny wanted to run, but Draco dropped his face to her shoulder and put his arms around her. "I don't hate you," he whispered, standing against her shaking, until Ginny finally, nervously, put her arms around his back, and they stood there until he calmed down.

The next day, during their afternoon meal, an eagle owl brought her the largest bunch of exotic flowers she had ever seen. There was no note attached, but between Harry and Ron's surprised faces, she could see Draco's pale one watching her.

After that they were friendly towards each other, but in a nervous and guarded way. It wasn't until later, when Ginny had removed several hexes from him on the Hogwarts Express that they became more than friends.